Fuse-box.



PATBNTBD MAY 1, 1906.

No. 819,608l

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' FUSE BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 16.1905.

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v being forme between the termina si'sts in the lnov UNiT'En STATES PATENT onirica.

EARL SHERWOOD, OF HONESDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FUSE-Box..

i No. 819,608.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May l, 1906.

Appiimnm filed June 16,1905. serial No. 265.594'.

,To all/imitant /t rn/(ty concern:

. Be it known that I, EARL SHERwooD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at arating or moving apart the terminals upon the breakage or burning out of the fuse-wire, the terminals being thrown a art to such an extent as to revent the possibilityl of an arc s, thus doin away with the so-called explosion and as incident to the destruction of a fusewire.

In carrying out the present invention the fuse-holders also constitute the terminals of the conductor or feed-Wire, and a further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of fuse-holder which will enable said holder in case of breakage or injury to be readily removedl and quickly re laced by a new holder, this being accomplis ed bythe motorman or conductor without the aid of special tools.

With thel above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention cone construction, combination,

y andarran ement of parts, as herein fully deisa scribed, il ustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1. is a sectional elevation o a thermal cut-out or fuse-box embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewlof one of the baseblocks an one of the fuse-holders, showing the manner of connecting said arts. Fig. 3

plan view of a modified orm of baseblock and fuse-holder. Fig. 4 is a side or ed e view of the same.

eferring to the drawings, 1 desi ates the casing of tne fuse-,box which-ma e of any suitable size and material and which is bolted or otherwise secured to the bottom or body of a car or other framework, a portion of which is shown at 2.

The bottom of the box is preferably left o en for a considerable portion of its area for t e urpose of allowin the broken fragments of t e fuse-wire or t eir holders to escape when they become broken, thus preventing In each upper corner of the box or casing is arranged a baseblock 3, provided in the'top with a hole to receive one of the ends of the feed-wire or conductor 4, such end being secured by means of a binding-screw 5` Extending outward from the block 3 is a pin or stud 6, which is slotted, as shown at 7, to receive and retain the inner diainetrically-disposed extremity 8 of a spring-coil 9, which encircles the stud and is then extended to form an elongated arm 10, which may be either' straight or curved and which is provided at its extremity with a hook 11, preferably thickened, as shown, and formed on' the inner side of the hook with a notch12.

The combined spring, arm, and hook form a fuse-holder, and in the normal operative position of the two holders the arms 10 converge toward their hooked extremities, being so held by the fuse-wire 13, which is rovided at its opposite ends with eyes or oops 14, adapted to be slipped over the hooks 11 and to engage in the retaining-notches 12. A cotter-pin 15 is removably inserted through the end of eachstud 6 and holds theI fuse-holder against displacement.

16 represents bumpers or cushions to receive the impact of the fuse-holders as the latter are thrown outward by the action of the spring-coils In o eration when the fuse-wire 13 is destroye the arms 10, which form the terminals of the feed-wire, spring apart or away` from each other, thus drawing apart the fragments of the fuse-wire to such an extentpas to prevent the formation of an are. The fragments of the fuse -wire detach themselves from the fuse-holders and drop through the open bottom of the box. It is only necessary to substitute a new fuse-wire by placing the loops or eyes 14 over the hooks 1 1, said hooks exerting the necessary tension on the fusewire to hold the latter in' place and maintain perfect electrical contact. Should one ofthe ring fuse-holders become broken, a portion s t ereof will drop through the bottom of the box. The remaining portion may then be removed by-taking out the cotter- Another form of fuse-holder and base- TOO block is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which the basefblock 17 is provided with projectingarlus 18, between which is mounted a rod or shalt 1S), held in'place at its opposite ends by means of screws 20, removably inserted through the arms 18 into the extremities of the rod or shaft 1). The arin 21 of the fuseholder consists oi' a piece of wire bent upon itself and then coiled in opposite directions, as shown at 22, the coiled portions encircling the rod or shaft 15% and the extremities 23 beingr bent and inserted in holes 24 in the beseblock, where they are held by means of binding-screws 25.y The extremity of the arm 21 is preferably provided with a thickened tip 26 to provide. for the necessary wear, and seid tip is preferably notched, as shown in 27, to engage the'fuse-wire. The block 17 is provided with a hole 28 to receive the feed-wire 4, the latter being held b means of a binding-screw 29. The fuseolder may be detached when broken by removing the screws 2() and rod or shaft 19 and loosening, the screws 25. In like manner a new fuse-holder may be substituted.

While both forms hereinabove described embody the 'same principle, the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is preferred on account of its simplicity and ease of repair.

lleving thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- A fuse-box having an open unobstructed bottom, in combination with oppositely-act ing downwardly-extending spring-arms havF ing a tendency to move away from each other and constituting circuit-terminals, contact-tips at the extremities of said arms lo-A cated at or near the open bottom of the box and having notched seats for the looped ends of' the fuse-wire, said tips being adapted to throw of the fragments of the fuse-wire, and stops which arrest the outward movement of the spring-arms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EARL SHERWOOD'.'

Witnesses:

FRANK C. HALL, JAMES A. MORAN. 

